A network environment typically includes various network devices, such as routers, line modules, hubs, and/or switches, for delivery of digital information via conventional network transporting formats such as packets and frames. Packets, packet frames, data streams, and/or data traffics typically travel from source devices to destination devices via one or more packet switched networks (“PSNs”) or networks. Information pertaining to the transfer of data packet(s) and/or frame(s) through the network(s) is usually embedded within the packet and/or frame itself. Each packet, for instance, traveling through multiple nodes via one or more communications networks such as Internet and/or Ethernet, can typically be handled independently from other packets in a packet stream or traffic. Each node which may include routing, switching, and/or bridging engines processes incoming packets or frames, and determines where the packet(s) or frame(s) should be forwarded.
To deliver high performance, it is critical for a network or PSN to maintain high speed data traffic flowing through circuit emulation service (“CES”) circuits with minimal packet loss and/or drop. CES, for example, allows packet transport via synchronous circuits such as T1/E1 over asynchronous networks. Note that T1 is a digital carrier signal that transmits digital signal with a data rate of about 1.544 megabits per second. T1, for example, contains twenty four digital channels and requires a network device having digital connection(s). E1, which is similar to T1, is used for digital transmission with a data rate of about 2.048 megabits per second. Unlike T1, E1 has 32 channels at the speed of 64 Kbps per channel.
A CES carrier typically does not know the content of data stream that the carrier transports, as well as timing characteristics associated with the data stream. However, when a timing problem occurs at the endpoint of a CES, it is usually difficult to debug because without invasive debugging techniques, it is often hard to ascertain the root of the problem. Such invasive procedure(s) can render outage(s) of network service to all connected customers, invasive procedure(s) typically is the last option to debug the problems. For example, when a legacy time-division multiplexing (“TDM”) circuit is replaced with a SAToP (Structure-Agnostic TDM over Packet) or CESoPSN (circuit emulation service over PSN) link(s), TDM data streams generated at one endpoint of SAToP can fail due to unpredictable reasons, such as incorrect device configuration, network congestion, circuit overloading, and the like. Note that incorrect or inaccurate timing configuration at one endpoint circuit could cause the other far-end circuit to fail.